In
1922, Frank Hamilton Taylor donated 243 images of Philadelphia buildings to the Philadelphia Free Library. While
not all the photographs were taken by Frank H. Taylor, each image
has been mounted on cardboard and many have been retouched, presumably
by Taylor's
hand for commercial purposes. The photographs illustrate Philadelphia's urban structures and economy at the turn of the
last century, as well as adding to our knowledge of the life and works
of Frank H. Taylor. Many of the buildings documented no longer exist,
yet the potential these photographs hold for research for Architectural
Historians as well as other researchers is great. The collection will
soon be digitalized by the Free Library. This site is an attempt to
make the holdings of the collection more accesible.